- Date
- May 20, 2003, 19:30 local (May 21, 2003, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cedar City, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5278HCessna 172S
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 5, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Salt Lake City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030520010219A
- Case key
- 57065
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, and his failure to maintain directional control.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was departing to the south when the aircraft was blown to the left. The left wing struck a dirt embankment ,and the aircraft spun around 180 degrees and nosed over causing substantial damage to the wings.
Factual narrative
On May 20, 2003, at approximately 1930 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N5278H, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain and nosed over during takeoff roll at a private airfield 20 miles south of Cedar City, Utah. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. C & S Aviation LC of Cedar City, Utah, was operating the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight which was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.
According to the pilot, he was departing to the south when the aircraft "was blown to the left." The left wing struck a dirt embankment,and the aircraft spun around 180 degrees and nosed over. The aircraft came to rest, inverted in a gully, on the east side of the strip.
The nosewheel was bent aft, the left and right wing tips were crushed, the left and right wings were bent down at the root, and the outboard edge of the left elevator was crushed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5278H
- Reported as
- Cessna 172S
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17259210
- Airframe hours
- 290
- Engine
- Textron Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Joseph Sterling
- Registered owner
- C & S Aviation LC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 28, 2003
- Departed
- NONE · Bullock Field, UT
- Destination
- CDC · Cedar City, UT
- Airport
- Bulloch Private Strip, runway 180, 2,800 × 50 ft, dirt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 25, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 200 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- CDC, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.